The Louvre Museum blocked as France grapples with growing protests

Dozens of students crowd outside the Louvre Museum, in an attempt to restrict access entirely. To place pressure on the government, the iconic landmark was chosen in order to create high levels of disruption. Major student organizations insist they remain mobilized, but can the movement sustain its momentum despite last weekend's clashes? These are some of the high school students who protested in Paris on Saturday. That was all the people who were getting hit by things, who were hit by stun grenades that landed on their heads or by clay pellets. Despite the violence, they say they have no intention of giving up. Protesters feel French President Emmanuel Macron's recent announcement offered nothing concrete, even as he continues to call for hiring more teachers and reforming higher education pathways. There are some unpleasant things that happen at protests, but it's the only democratic way we have of making our voices heard. We mustn't give up. We're taking a break, but the aim is to come back perhaps even stronger and protesting peacefully. So will this lead to a wider mobilization alongside the Gilets Jaunes? Following Saturday's demonstrations, calls on social media for further protests on October 24th and 31st are multiplying. Over 100 calls to action have been logged on tracking sites. The coordinator behind one interactive map remains optimistic. We're getting dozens of them every hour, so we can expect something quite significant. We can also expect there to be lots of events that don't even have time to be listed, and through social media, spontaneous gatherings will be organized. In addition to the two Saturdays of action already planned, major trade unions, including the CGT, are calling for a massive joint demonstration on November 5.